Cybersecurity trends in crypto to look out for in 2025

As more people continue to welcome cryptocurrencies, discussions about crypto security also increase. Remember, threat actors always love to focus on those sectors with large followership. And given that crypto benefits continue to appeal to many people, attackers are really targeting this sector.

More than 560 million people are confirmed to be using crypto in 2024. According to Grand View Research, the global crypto market stands at $5.7 billion and could grow by a CAGR of 13.1% in the next few years. Therefore, that means that as more people turn to this sector, more threat actors could actually be drawn to this sector. So, we can never overemphasize the need to ensure secure and safe interactions. 

But wait, perhaps you have questions like ‘What is cryptocurrency?’ or ‘How does it work?’ and so on. For such persons, we will dedicate a section to just look at the basics.

Understanding cryptocurrencies 

From the word cryptography, crypto is just a virtual currency that uses cryptographic features to secure transactions. The main boast of cryptocurrencies is their lack of a central issuing authority, making them theoretically immune to government disruptions.

As if that is not enough, these digital currencies always allow for transfers between parties without the need for intermediaries. That way, you can always be sure of cheap and cost-effective transfers, as the transaction fees are much reduced. This is actually part of why Spherical Insights believes the global crypto payment apps market size could grow by a CAGR of about 16.6% in the next few years.

Of course, their blockchain infrastructure is central to the appeal of digital currencies. This is a set of connected blocks on a distributed ledger, with each block containing independently verified transactions. If a new block has to be added, it must be verified first, making it difficult to forge transaction histories. Plus, the consensus mechanism where a network of individual nodes must verify transactions makes this technology more transparent.

Now that you have some basics let us now look at a few trends. 

The shifting trends

Well, even though crypto is quite secure, it does not mean there are no associated attacks. Phishing scams, for instance, are a common attack tool that many scammers use. Think of these scams as fake login pages cleverly designed to mimic your favorite crypto exchange platform. A recent report actually revealed that a good number of individuals lost about $516.8 million to approval phishing.

Malware attacks are another common strategy where malicious persons steal private keys, compromise wallets and even take charge of the whole network. Perhaps you have heard about cryptojacking, where your device is used without your knowledge to mine crypto. Can you imagine that within the first half of 2023 alone, more than 332 million cryptojacking attacks were recorded? This was about a 399% increase from the previous year.

For pump-and-dump schemes, criminals manipulate a currency’s value by distributing false information – they could even create an artificial demand. After inflating prices, they dispose of their holdings and leave investors holding the bag.

If we were to look at the statistics, you might actually be surprised to discover that, according to some studies, crypto pump-and-dump schemes account for up to 24% of new tokens. Another fraud you may have to watch out for is fake initial coin offerings (ICOs), where fake crypto projects take advantage of users’ ignorance to raise money. 

Measures to improve crypto security

Even though the number of attacks targeting the crypto industry is increasing, that does not leave us without hope. There are several hacks that can help us stay ahead.

Let us first take multi-factor authentication as an example. Do you actually know that this approach can reduce bulk phishing attacks by up to 96%? It adds an extra security layer by requiring users to verify their details beyond just the normal username and password credentials. In other words, you will have to provide:

• A knowledge factor such as a password
• A possession factor like a mobile device or security token

And, of course, how could we conclude this section without mentioning the power of AI? For those who have been keeping a close eye on the industry, you must have already heard about AI-crypto integrations. Artificial intelligence boasts an unusual computational ability that enables it to process large amounts of data in real time.

That way, it can easily detect malicious or suspicious activity in the chain and alert users. Just recently, in 2023, AnChain.AI really helped in unraveling the nearly $100 million scam involving Harmon Horizon, a cross-chain bridge that once allowed users to transfer tokens between the Harmony blockchain, Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain.

Wrapping up

Whether you participate in crypto or whatever sector, one thing you cannot afford to ignore is your safety. Data has become the new gold, and everyone is seeking ways to have as much of it as possible—that also includes threat actors.

And since these individuals are always shifting their tactics, we will see players in the sector adopting more sophisticated mechanisms to improve safety not only in 2025 but also in the coming years as well.